The WICKED Root & Debris GRAPPLE!!!!!!!

[TomSeller]

Or ...... maybe ask what BEF needs a grapple to do? Lightest, narrowest ....... is not always the correct answer. You should already know this?

Tractor data says the loader on a L3940 has a lift capacity at 500 mm of 1415 lbs which is a decent amount but not a huge. The 54" single lid or dual lid weighs 349 lbs leaving 1066 lbs of lift assuming the same 500 mm load center on the grapple. I wouldn't suggest giving up any more than that, I think 54" is a good fit. The 60" is 382 lbs which leaves 1033 lbs which is good as well. The dual lid adds cost.

 

[aeblank]

On my L3940 I have a (non wicked) 66" single lid. I certainly wouldn't go any bigger.

 

[jmc]

Tractor data says the loader on a L3940 has a lift capacity at 500 mm of 1415 lbs which is a decent amount but not a huge. The 54" single lid or dual lid weighs 349 lbs leaving 1066 lbs of lift assuming the same 500 mm load center on the grapple. ...

I'd guess that rated load is while its sitting in the standard L3940 bucket. If so, and if that standard bucket weighs, say, 250 lbs, then only 99 lbs of lift is lost with the grapple.

Another weight related issue- and it might be just a Kubota loader thing, is that when a heavy grapple, even empty, is rolled completely forward, the curl linkage is beyond its sweet spot and cannot be curled back up. You have to wipe it on the ground, like after you step in "dog-shuff".

 

[IslandTractor]

I'd guess that rated load is while its sitting in the standard L3940 bucket. If so, and if that standard bucket weighs, say, 250 lbs, then only 99 lbs of lift is lost with the grapple.

Your presumption is reasonable but I have never seen a published standard that clearly states that loader capacity is measured with a "standard" bucket attached. Problem is that there are many types of buckets and for bigger equipment there might not be a universal standard bucket. I haven't looked recently but I've never seen a published protocol for doing loader capacity testing.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I can lift 1500 with forks on, but can't curl. I usually do 1000 lb.when unloading wood pellets. Should have went up one tractor size to larger loader, same as my L5030, but didn't.

 

[IslandTractor]

I can lift 1500 with forks on, but can't curl. I usually do 1000 lb.when unloading wood pellets. Should have went up one tractor size to larger loader, same as my L5030, but didn't.

Hah! Should have bought a Kioti!!! (grin). Loader strength matters more than HP or fancy transmissions for many common CUT tasks.

 

[EverythingAttachments]

What's a good size grapple for kubota L3940?

Unless one has a good reason to go wider, my recommendation is the 60" Single Lid.

Some like wide and some like narrow, but the 60" is right in between.
Some like dual lids.

Size and lid configuration are really personal preference IMO. The weight is right on all of them!
Travis

 

[IslandTractor]

Unless one has a good reason to go wider, my recommendation is the 60" Single Lid.

Some like wide and some like narrow, but the 60" is right in between.
Some like dual lids.

Size and lid configuration are really personal preference IMO. The weight is right on all of them!
Travis

Just for argument's sake, why the 60 instead of the 54 or (if available) the 48?? Agree with single lid (obviously!!).

A narrower grapple will dig better. It will weigh less. It will be easier to maneuver around objects like trees. Easier to store.

A wider grapple will scoop up more solid objects like short firewood pieces but doesn't necessarily scoop up more brush or branches or logs. Brush is sticky. A 48" grapple with a mouthful of brush will be at least 72-84" wide with the load. Hard enough to see around that when driving to the burn or dump pile. A 48" grapple will hold and lift MORE branches and logs than a 72" simply because it weighs less and can carry a larger net load. One other point is that grapples generally are not great at being used as rakes to clean up an area of loose debris. Problem is that they tend to either not be low enough to the ground and pass over debris or they are so low that they dig in an rip up turf/sod.

When someone asks for advice it doesn't make too much sense to give a broad range of options without explaining the pros and cons. Most folks have almost no experience with grapples to rely on when making a choice. Give the guy a rationale and set of principles on which to make a choice. An important point to communicate to CUT owners who are almost always buying their first and only grapple is that grapple width has almost no relation to standard bucket width. Ignore completely that most standard buckets are 60" or 72" because it is irrelevant to the vast majority of grapple work. Think instead about how huge (YUGE!) excavators have grapple claws that are only about three feet wide. That's because they are more efficient than wider heavier grapple claws. Grapples are grasping devices not rakes.

I think the easiest and most accurate way to understand a grapple is to liken it to a human hand. Our hands are not two feet wide. We don't have multiple thumbs. We need to scoop or grasp and secure a load with both our hand and a grapple. Both are very efficient in relatively narrow dimensions and with a single "lid".

48 inch grapple photos below. I don't think you'd get any more brush or tree limbs etc into a 60 or 72. You certainly wouldn't be able to dig stumps or roots or rocks as well with a wide grapple as with a narrow grapple. You would also have more money left in your pocket with a narrow grapple too.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Unless one has a good reason to go wider, my recommendation is the 60" Single Lid.

Some like wide and some like narrow, but the 60" is right in between.
Some like dual lids.

Size and lid configuration are really personal preference IMO. The weight is right on all of them!
Travis

Thanks for the reply, 60" is what I was figuring on.

 

[lostcreekranch]

Thanks for the reply, 60" is what I was figuring on.

Good choice, you will be very happy with EA service.

Oh oh! I hear them coming! Run Forrest, Run!